Member Rating

Compare Prices on Voyager of the Seas Europe - Western Mediterranean Cruises

We Love RCL!

Sail Date:
October 2010

Destination:
Europe - Western Mediterranean

Embarkation:
Barcelona

My husband and I recently returned from yet another great Royal Caribbean Cruise. We had previously cruised on Adventure of the Seas to the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean and anxiously awaited our first trip together to Europe on Voyager of the Seas. Upon arriving at the port around 11:30 a.m., we were sent to the Suite line, since we were in a Grand Suite-1578. Once we checked in, we began walking towards the entrance to the ship. There were several people from the Soda Package group, Wine Package group, Portofinos and the My Time Dining people, waiting for us to sign up should we so wish. We were very happy about this as we had wanted to sign up for almost all of these things and RCL made it very convenient for us to do so. Once we were signed up, we then walked through another area that had a few duty free shops. We opted not to purchase anything and head for the ship.

It was so wonderful stepping foot onto the ship. We knew that we wanted our next stop to be the Spa as we More
wanted to sign up for massages for our day at sea. When we got to the spa no one was at the front desk. We decided to head to the Windjammer for lunch and come back to the spa later. Since we had been on Adventure of the Seas, we knew where everything was on Voyager as they are sister ships. The Windjammer was set up exactly the same so we grabbed what we wanted, but were out of luck finding a seat. We walked around several times until finally a seat became empty. It was a little frustrating walking around with a plate of food and seeing people just sitting at tables not even eating. Anyway, once we were done with a great lunch, we went back to the spa. Again no one was the desk, we forgot the spa is 2 levels so we went upstairs and there was the person we needed. Our anniversary was the day at sea so we wanted to make sure we got to have a nice day. We each booked a massage for that day in the morning. By this time it was a little after 1pm and we were able to go to our room.

The best room we had stayed in thus far was on Adventure of the Seas when we stayed in a Junior Suite so we were very excited to see our Grand Suite. We were not disappointed. We had our room decorated for our anniversary so it looked very festive but the room itself was really nice. Although we did not have the walk in closet we had in the Junior Suite there was ample room for our clothes in the closet provided. We had lots of drawer space and the bathroom with double sinks was wonderful. Our balcony was so nice and we got to enjoy it every day we were on the ship. We hung out in a room for a bit waiting for our luggage to arrive. In that time we got acquainted with the room and put away anything we could. Some of the stuff belonged in our safe so as we were trying to get stuff put away we found that the safe did not work. We immediately called maintenance and someone came to our room within 5 minutes and fixed it. Soon our luggage arrived so we unpacked and then went off to one of the many lounges for a drink of the day. We had a nice visit with the bartender there and then it was time to go back to our room for the muster drill. It had been 2 years since our last cruise and the life preservers are no longer needed during the muster drill, this we were happy about (although it was always fun to get a picture of). In any case, once the muster drill was done we explored the ship a bit more and then went to the Concierge room. The concierge was not there but we found the room to be very nice and looked forward to being able to enjoy it. At this point we then went to the Promenade and had a drink at the Pig and Whistle. It is a great spot to people watch and we enjoyed spending time there. We then went back to our room to get ready for dinner. We selected My Time Dining this time and we enjoyed it very much. It was great for us as we did not feel as tied down to a scheduled dinner as we had in the past. We went off to dinner and found that we were at a table for 2. We were fine with that but hoped to experience good conversation at dinner with others some of the other nights. We had a very nice waiter and Assistant waiter, both of whom were very attentive to us when we were at their table.

After dinner we went to see the Welcome Aboard Show. In this regard we were very disappointed. On Adventure of the Seas the shows were 1st class on Voyager of the seas this was not the case. The singing was really sub par, just not the caliber you would expect on RCL. We made it through the show and decided to have a night cap at one of the lounges. Unfortunately the group that was supposed to perform chose not to, since we were only 1 of the 2 couples there. We had a drink but then decided to call it a night since we were still jet lagged from our long trip.

The next morning was our day at sea and so we chose to order breakfast in. It was a little chilly outside but we still wanted to dine on the balcony. We had a lovely breakfast and it was a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary day. We then got ready and went to the spa for our massages. We both enjoyed them and felt very relaxed and refreshed after them. We had been invited by the Concierge to a Bridge Tour. So, we went back to our room and showered and changed for it. Quite a few people attended the Bridge Tour and we enjoyed it very much. We then went to Johnny Rockets for lunch-sooo good, love their vanilla milkshakes. It was a rainy day so we decided to go up to one of the lounges and have a soda and relax. It was a very relaxing day and one that we needed as we were still very tired from our long trip. The day passed us by so quickly and soon it was time for dinner. Prior to dinner there was a meet up with our captain, Captain Bang. We were able to say hello and take a quick photo with him. Of all the cruises we have been on, he has so far been the nicest captain we have met.

We had booked our dinner at Portofinos for our anniversary. We had been to Portofinos on our last cruise and looked forward to another evening of fine dining. The service was very good and so was the food but it was not as high a caliber of service as it had been the 1st time. It was not disappointing however and we were treated very well. After dinner we decided to go see the Production show. There was an auction prior to it to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation and it was a lot of fun. The show once again, was not that great but it was something to do. We saw Karaoke on the schedule and chose to go and watch it. Everyone did amazingly well and it was fun to watch. We had a tour scheduled for the morning so we went to bed after the show.

The next day was our first port-Naples. We had a tour scheduled to go to Pompeii and Sorrento-please see Port Reviews for more info. Upon returning to the ship we decided to go to one of the bars where someone would be talking to us about our next port Rome. Unfortunately the person they selected, although very nice was not very knowledgeable so we just spent a short time there. We then got ready for dinner and upon arriving at the Magic Flute we were once again seated at a table for 2. It was great but again we really wanted to chat with other couples. After dinner we opted for an early night since we had an early tour scheduled in the morning.

Day 4-Civitavechhia-We did the Rome on your own tour-please see more info in the Port Reviews. Once the we got back to the ship, we had dinner and then we had tickets to the ice show. The ice show was great as it had been on our previous cruise and we enjoyed it very much. We wanted to stay up for the Love and Marriage game show but we were so tired that we decided to call it a night. The next day we arrived in Livorno-please see Port Reviews. We had requested in the morning that our dining time be made a little later since we had a cocktail hour scheduled to meet with the Captains staff. At first we were told it would be difficult to move us but when we explained that we were o.k. not sitting at a table for 2, they were able to accommodate us. After a full day, we then went back to our room and got ready for the cocktail hour. It was very nice and we got to speak to quite a few people that we had already met in the Concierge room on other nights. It was soon time for us to go to dinner so we headed to our table for 6 in the Magic Flute. We were the first to arrive and soon were joined by a couple who were newlyweds and another couple who had been on too many cruises to count. They were both wonderful table mates and we had a very nice dinner chatting with them. After dinner we went to the Headliner show. This show was the best all week. It was a Bee Gees show and it was very good. Time for bed and our next day in Villfranche-please see Port Reviews. We had been invited to attend dinner with the Staff Captain on this night. We were very honored and accepted the invitation. We had been told dinner would be at 7pm. Surprisingly when we returned to our room at 5:30p.m. we received notice that the dinner was actually at 6pm. We quickly got ready to meet everyone at one of the lounges. Fortunately we were all able to get ready quickly. We were given a champagne toast and then escorted to the Staff Captains table. We had a very nice meal and good conversation. After dinner we chose to skip the show as we had, enough of them. Instead we had a night cap and off to bed we went. Our last day-Toulon. The last day is the worst, because you know that the next day you have to leave the ship. Please see Port Reviews for Toulon. We had a tour of St. Tropez/Port Grimaud scheduled. Upon returning to the ship we began packing. We selected the late check out-9a.m. and we would take our bags down ourselves. We were staying an extra day in Barcelona (Hotel Icaria) and were in no hurry to leave the ship. We then had our last dinner and were given a table for 8. We sat with some really great and interesting people and had a wonderful last nights dinner on the ship. We opted to go back to our room to get everything packed. It was good that we did as we had to figure out how and where to put all of the souvenirs.

The next morning we had breakfast in the Windjammer and soon left the ship. We are looking forward to cruising on Royal Caribbean again in the near future. We cannot express highly enough how wonderful cruising with Royal Caribbean is. The food is great, the service is excellent (we had the best room attendant ever-Gracela) and just waking up each morning in a new port is spectacular. Less

Compare Prices on Voyager of the Seas Europe - Western Mediterranean Cruises

Cabin review: Voyager of the Seas Grand Suite Deck 10 1578

We were in Grand Suite 1578. It is a beautiful room, very spacious. We had some problems with our safe-both on the first day and throughout the cruise. We also had problems with our t.v. not working properly. Other than that, the room was in good shape. Lots of closet space, great balcony and very comfortable and quiet.

Port and Shore Excursions

Barcelona is aesthetically a beautiful city. Full of a culture that has a long history. Gaudi one of the most famous Spanish artists fills this city with such beautiful artwork it is hard to determine which piece is more beautiful. We spent the night before our cruise and the night after our cruise in Barcelona. When on a tight schedule I would recommend either taking a tour with the cruise ship or signing up for the Bus Turistic. It is well worth it and allows you to enjoy the sites at your own pace.

We arrived in Livorno and on this day we chose to do Florence and Pisa on our own. We left the ship early as we knew we had to figure out how to get to the train station from the ship. We were told there was a bus that took you directly to the train station for 18 euros and there is another that will take you to the bus that takes you to the train for 4 euros per person. We opted for the later but it took forever for the bus to leave the port. Fortunately though we did meet a nice couple whom we chose to spend the day with visiting both Pisa and Florence. So, we finally left the port and went to the bus. We purchased tickets for the bus to the train only at the Tobacco shop. We then searched for the bus and a local directed us to the right one. We soon met up with another couple who the man was actually fluent in Italian so it was a big help, plus they were really nice. We all boarded the bus to the train and when we arrived at the station purchased tickets for both our trip to Pisa and to Florence. The train ride to Pisa took about 25 minutes. I had heard that the leaning tower was a distance from the train station and that we should take a cab. However, when we were on the train the gentleman that was with us spoke to a local who told us we could easily walk to the tower in 10 minutes. We took her advice but it ended up being much more than 10 minutes-more like 40 minutes, so definitely get in a cab from the train station. We rushed to the tower took some shots and then piled in a cab back to the train station to Florence. Half our day was done by this point so we rushed to Florence-the train ride was 40 minutes. Once we arrived in Florence we rushed to see the sites including the Ponte Vechhio but we never had a chance to shop or take our time at all. We then caught a cab back to the train station and then back on the bus to the bus. It was a very hectic day and although do able it did not allow for us to see enough of the beautiful city of Florence, of which we plan to go back and spend some time on our own.

Naples itself sadly is a worn down city. There are things to see and do, but with places like Pompeii, Sorrento or any of the little cities located on the Amalfi coast nearby, your day is better spent visiting one of them. On our day in Naples we selected the Pompeii tour-ancient ruins with a side trip to the town of Sorrento. We had an excellent tour guide named Kareem and we started out on bus ride to Pompeii. The trip was not too long approximately 40-45 minutes. Once we arrived we visited the amazing ruins. If you are ever in our near Pompeii, the ruins should not be missed. We spent a good amount of time visiting the ruins and then we went back to the square where we were able to use the restroom and purchase souvenirs. 2 things, the souvenir shop looks nice but wait on buying Limoncello here. The prices were much better at the 2nd half of our trip. Also, there are street vendors whom you can get some nice stuff at good prices-just don't be afraid to haggle. After our visit to the Ruins we got back on the bus and went to the town of Sorrento. Here we were brought into a wood store. The store had beautiful furniture and artwork and we thought the prices were reasonable. We were then given a couple of hours on our own. We went to lunch at a little pizzeria by ourselves and then walked around a bit. We then boarded back onto the bus and went to a small farm in Sorrento that makes Olive Oil and Mozzarella. We had a nice tour of the olive press and got to enjoy seeing how mozzarella is shaped and made. We were then each given a plate of different foods from the farm and some home made wine. It was very nice. After eating, we were able to enjoy time in the souvenir shop. They had very reasonable prices and were very nice. After the farm we headed back to the port but first stopped at a cameo factory. It was beautiful but high priced.

On this day we arrived in Civitavecchia. We were 2 hours away from Rome. We selected to do a Rome on Your Own tour through the ship. The ship brought us to and from Rome by bus and we got to spend the day touring the city on our own. This was not an easy day. It took over 2 hours for us to get to Rome due to hitting some traffic. Once we arrived we were dropped off near the Vatican which was our prime spot to visit on this trip. We immediately went to an area in St. Peters where we could purchase a self guided audio tour for each of us. Fist of all, skip the audio tour-big waste of time and money. Secondly my audio player stopped working almost immediately. When I let them know they were very nice and gave us 1/2 our money back. In any case, St. Peters Church is stunning and worth the time we spent. We then chose to walk up the 350 steps to the St. Peters Basilica. Again, skip this (unless you are a marathon runner) and take the elevator. The views are beautiful but not worth the exhaustion. Once we were done we went to lunch at a pizzeria and then it was nearly time to get back on the bus. Our day in Rome was very rushed and unfortunately we did not get to see very much. We look forward to spending some more time in Rome in the future.

On this day we opted for a tour through the ship to St. Tropez and to a small city called Port Grimaud. We had a very nice guide named Margit who was very informative. There was a long drive to St. Tropez but once we arrived we had a walking tour and then time on our own. We then met back for lunch at a very nice restaurant. We then boarded the bus and headed for the small city of Port Grimaud. What a beautiful little place. We had a very nice day on this tour.

Villefranche was a beautiful little port. This was the only port that we had to be tendered. It is a beautiful city. On this day we chose to take the train to Monaco/Montecarlo and Nice on our own. It was a very tranquil day as the train station was close to the tendered port and to get to Monaco/Montecarlo was a short train ride and the same for Nice. We found the train station-not easy to find but locals will help if you ask. We purchased our tickets and off we went to Monte Carlo. We immediately walked up the hill to see the famous casino which does not open until 2pm (it was morning when we arrived) and then we spent some time visiting Monaco. We fell in love with the French Riviera on this day-it is stunning. We then hoped back on a short train ride to Nice. Upon arriving in Nice we spent some time walking around and enjoying the beauty of the city. We had lunch at a cafe and enjoyed every minute of it. We soon had to get back on the train to get back to Villefranche, but we had a wonderful nicely paced day. Upon our return to Villefranche we took a nice walk around the town and then got back on the tender to return to our ship.